Trail Blazers legend Damian Lillard has already made the NBA’s 75th anniversary team, but does that mean he’s a lock for the Hall of Fame?
Speaking on his podcast, former NBA guard Patrick Beverley made the case against Lillard, arguing that if Derrick Rose isn’t Hall of Fame worthy, then neither is the 35-year-old guard out of Weber State.
“Hell no! I love Dame, but it’s too many people that get in the Hall of Fame,” said Beverley. “Second off, Hall of Fame has to be a combination of points, rebounds, assists, wins, playoff appearances, and championships. Like, how are we gonna say no to [Derrick Rose] getting MVP and say yes to Dame Lillard? If he gets a chip, for sure.”
To this day, Derrick Rose’s claim to the Hall of Fame is hotly contested. As the youngest MVP in NBA history, he helped bring life back to the Bulls in the post-Jordan era. At his best, he was simply unstoppable on the court with averages of 25.0 points, 4.1 rebounds, 7.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.6 blocks per game on 44.5% shooting and 33.2% shooting from three. In the end, it’s unlikely that he’ll ever make the cut to get into the Hall of Fame, but he did have the exclusive honor of having his jersey retired by the Bulls.
For Beverley, Rose’s case is a lot stronger than Dame’s, but there is (admittedly) some negative bias involved. The two were considered rivals in earlier days, thanks to several heated and high-stakes battles on the court. The trash talk that came after only perpetuated the resentment.
Still, to Beverley’s point, Lillard doesn’t have an MVP to his name. In fact, his playoff track record isn’t any better than Rose’s, despite a mostly healthy career. To date, Lillard has only made the Conference Finals once: in 2019, when his Trail Blazers were swept by the Golden State Warriors.
Despite his lack of playoff success, however, Lillard has a stronger argument than Bev gives him credit for. Besides his stats as a nine-time All-Star, seven-time All-NBA player, and former Rookie of the Year, Dame also has impressive career numbers of 25.1 points, 4.3 rebounds, 6.7 assists, 1.0 steals, and 0.3 blocks per game on 43.9% shooting and 37.1% shooting from three.
As one of the game’s all-time greatest shooters and scorers, he’s considered the best player in Blazers franchise history, leading the team in scoring (19,376), three-point field goals made (2,387), and free throws (3,674). Today, at 35, he recently returned to Portland after two years with the Bucks to finish where it all began. Now, as he wraps up his recovery from a devastating Achilles tear, there is optimism about what comes next.
At ninth in the West (36-37), the Blazers are in no position to compete for a title right now, but they are building up a core that can do great things in the future. Notably, with guys like Donovan Clingan, Scoot Henderson, and Deni Avdija, they have the pieces in place to become a real threat next season, when Lillard finally returns to the lineup. He hasn’t been seen on the court since All-Star weekend, but he likes what he’s been seeing from this team from the opening jump.
